Fennel Risotto

Fennel is one of those veggies that often sits in the produce section under curious eyes or in the fridge crisper drawers of bewildered CSA members untouched. The question: What on earth do you do with fennel?

Well, until recently, I had this same question. I’ve eaten fennel in a lot of ways. . . roasted, in stir frys, chopped up, sliced, and raw. All of the ways I’ve had it before, I couldn’t seem to get past its characteristically strong licorice flavor. And then, I figured it out. The key with fennel is to cook it long enough that its licorice flavors mellows to a subtle, sweet, decadent flavor.

Give this gluten free, dairy free (optional), rich and creamy fennel risotto a shot. If you haven’t loved fennel before, it might just become one of your new-found favorite veggies!